>> i completely agree with steve. the russian influence on assad is real but limited. there is another country which has more influence on assad and it is iran. the real dilemma for the russians would be if we say, okay, let's have this negotiation. let's have russia disabled but iran should be excluded. assad says, well, i am willing to be a part of the negotiations but not without iran. to accept the exclusion of iran would be a difficult concession for putin. my impression is that it is not quite there yet. >> woodruff: given that, again steve heydemann, how is the west looking at all this? >> it's happening very quickly. it's a matter of enormous concern. if the regime were to collapse in the absence of a political settlement, the potential for increased violence, the possibility that the opposition now is taking shape entirely is not yet ready to govern is seen as a very serious consideration in washington. however, the question of whether it would be possible for the u.s., for example, to accept a negotiated process in which assad himself were permitted to escape